'Scrooge McDuck' artist Don Rosa retires from comics

Acclaimed writer and artist Don Rosa has announced his retirement from comics.

The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck creator cited declining eyesight and frustrations with Disney as the reasons behind the move.

The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck creator Don Rosa

Rosa's European publisher Egmont is putting out a nine-volume career retrospective of his work, but Disney is said to have refused to allow an epilogue written by the creator to appear in the text.

"How many people know how the 'Disney system' of comics works? When I describe this to some fans when asked about it, they often think I'm kidding them or lying. Or they are outraged," said Rosa in the epilogue.

"It's an unfortunate fact that there have never been, and I ultimately realized there never will be, any royalties paid to the people who write or draw or otherwise create all the Disney comics you've ever read."

The writer-artist went on to explain that creators working on Disney comics are paid only a flat rate per page by the publisher that has commissioned them, no matter how many times the content is reproduced.